Combination chest and table



Jan. 13, 19.25.;v

1,523,354 C. l. J. BARKER COMBINATION CHEST AND TABLE Filed March 18, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WlTltlESSES ATTORN EY 1,523,354 7 c. l. J. BARKER comsxmnon CHEST AND TABLE.

Jan, 13

Filed March 18, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATT RNE I INVENTOR altllimr r wrmss X. aw

Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

TQFFHCE.

CLARENCE I. J. BARKER, OF NEOSI-IO, MISSOURI.

COMBINATION CHEST AND TABLE.

Application filed March 18, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE I. J. BARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing ct Neosho, in the county of Newton 6 and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combination Chests and Tablesof which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to combination chests and tables.

The object is to provide an article of furniture having twov distinct uses, and which may be quickly converted into a complete chest for holding articles of food, liquids, etc., to be used by tourists, motorists or others, and which may be as readily changed into a complete table for serving lunches or for other purposes.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which, when folded and locked into the form of a chest, may receive the table legs therein in a minimum amount of space so as to allow ample room for the storage of foods, etc., the said chest being 5 normally open at the top for the reception of the foods or liquids, and adapted to be closed by a separate cover in the form of a tray, which may be also used for serving purposes after the contents of the chest have been removed and the device converted into a table.

A final object is to provide a combination chest and table which may be cheaply manufactured and sold at a low cost, having few parts to get out of order, and which may be converted from one form to the other by a very simple operation and which, in either form, has no appearance of being of a convertible character.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understood that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not to be confined to strict conformity with the showing thereof, but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar refer- Serial No. 700,131.

ence characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures Figure l is a perspective view of the clevice in the form of a chest.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the same, the cover or tray being removed and showing the table legs stowed in the bottom thereof.

Figure 3 is a central. vertical sectional View, taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, with the cover or tray in place.

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4:-& of Figure 2, also showing the cover or tray in position.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the chest cover ready for use as a serving tray.

Figure 6 is an inverted plan view of the chest sections opened and locked together to form a table top and having the supportinglegs in active position.

Figure 7 is a detail view of one of the fasteners or reinforcements for the mitered corners of the table top sections.

Figure 8 is a perspective view, drawn on a reduced scale, of the convertible device set up as a table.

The improved combination chest and table of the present invention is primarily designed to fulfill the wants of automobilists or tourists and is well adapted to be carried while in the form of a chest, on the running board of automobiles, the two sections constituting the table top, and the sides of said chest being so formed and hinged together as to provide an entirely open top into which fragile foods, such as pies, pastries, cakes or other foods or dishes, as well as liquids or liquid containers may be readily placed and safely carried and protected from dust, dirt, or the weather while in transit, the said chest and cover being adapted to be strapped together and held in position on the machine. By removing the straps and the cover, the chest. beingsecurely locked in form, may be carried with the contents to the desired location and the foods removed therefrom as from an ordinary chest, without danger of spilling or breaking the same, which is not the case in other foldable or convertible chests which close up in the manner of a suit case and wherein it is necessary to carry all the contents in an inverted or semi-inverted position, thus spilling and damaging the same. By releasing certain locking means, after the contents of the chest have been removed, the txvo sections of the chestlniay be swung about their hinges, and be arranged into horizontal alinement with each other and again locked to form a tabletop having all the appearances of an ordinary ,table top, a fter which the four legs, previously carried inthe chest, may be inserted a nd the table turned to standing position thereon.

Each section orhalf of the chest and tablev top comprises a relatively, wide panel- 1 which may bejormed, ot one or more. boards, preferably of hard .wood, having their ends and outer edges preferably rounded as shown, and; these panelsfi'orm the vertical,

wall of the chest and also the top of the ta e.

V Adj acentto the outer rounded edges of the panels l, therewaresecured preferably by concealed nails or screws, longitudinally disposed strips or rails 2, likewise formed oi hardwood and extending perpendicularly to said panels. The ,rfails 2 have their outer ends mitered and joined to the correspondingly mitered ends of adjacent end rails 3 arranged at right angles to the same and,

likewiseperpendicular to the said panel 1; The abutting, initered ends at the rails 2 and Mrs, provi w tli lengi di al v ispos grooves for the reception of the angular arms .4. of a, corner 'jastening device, as

le s de ail F g .T asteni device is provided with terminal angular prongsfi, which'are adapted to be driven into rails so thatthe angular fastener serves to hold the said rails together ,with the arms 4;, flush with the outer exposed edge ot the 'a a a r l i of t e la y. S r ndrail 3 app it e e mit ted iqin are utie square, and in alinement with the inner edges ,oflthe panels 1 which are also square, andjsuitab'le hinge elements 6 are screwed or otherwise secured to the free edges of said rails 3 in a manner to pern'iit the sections to beswung so that the long, free edges of the endrailsS may abut, when the device isin the form of a chest (as shownin Figures 2, Bland 4), or tOlQGTlTllt the said sections to be swung soythat the short, free edges ofthe c ndjrails may abut, as when the device is in the form of a table (as shown in Figures 5 and S). One of the hinge elements is preferably countersunk, as shown, while the other attached ,to the surface of the adjacent rail 3, and the. eyes of the hinges extendlal' ove the plane oftheencl rails 3 when in chestform as shown in'Figure t.

The tree, longitudinaledges of the panels tlare provided with reinforcingbattens or strips ,each having one edge flush there: with and the end rails 3 are mortised for the reception "ofthe ends of saidstrips, which latter are in abutting relation when the device is in the form of a table, and serve to stiffen and strengthen the same as well as when the said panels constitute the long sides of the chest.

Cleats 8 arenailedor otherwise secured to'the inner faces of the rails 2 and 3, said cleatsrbeing arranged transversely of said rails andiir spaced relation to the mitered joints thereot, ,to ;provide corner sockets 9 into which are adapted to be fitted the upper, relatively large ends of tapered legs 10, as

clearly s iown in Figure 5.

Thecleats 8 attached to the end rails got one panel 1' are provided with swingable.

hooks 11, while the corresponding" cleats 8 ot' the oppositmpanel 1 are provided with headed-pins 12 for receiving said hooks 11 the chest, is proi ided with marginal flanges 16 ,to form atight joint around the same. for the purpose otexcluding dirt, dust, or 'nois ture, and the said cover is further; provided with bosses 1 7 struck up from the metal vand adapted to accommodate the upwardlyprojecting hinge eyes as shown in Figure i. llhe cover 15, in addition, forms a convenient tray, when removed from the chest, forholdn jarfiic es .oxf feed 0 for s v t e m hen the chest is packed and with ihe cover or tray 15 in position thereon, the

whole may beheld bysuitablestraps 18, as indicated in Figure 1. of the drawing, and carried onthe running board of a motor car or otherwise, p L I By reason off the tapering form of the legs 10, the same maybe placed [within the chest,

in alternately reversed position, as show n Figure 2, and occupy a minimum amountcof space gthereinQthe faces tl ereof vbeing sub? stantiallyilush withthe faces ottheicleats 8,

so that dishes, orarticles oef oam beplaced, upon the same with safety, the said legs being of a length to fit between said cleats. j V

The two sectionsoi? thedevice, whe rarranged, as a chestpprovidean o ptm top to the latter the, full extent of the internal area of the same, audit is not necessary to tilt orhinvert the sections in order to gain access to the interior, as is the casein similar devices which in the,,manner' f a u t-easei After the straps 18 have been released and the cover 15 removed, the legs may be taken out and the hooks or latches 11 detached from the pins 12, when the two sections may be swung about their hinges and the hook 13 engaged with the pin 14: to form the table top, after which the legs may be installed in position and the whole inverted to stand on the legs in the ordinary manner.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple, cheaply manufactured, and easily operated combination chest andtable has been provided which is especially well adapted for use by motorists and tourists,

the same being compact, strong and durable.

What is claimed is 1. A combined chest and table comprising two substantially equal rectangular sections each having a longitudinal rail and two transverse end rails, the free corners of each pair of end rails on one section being hinged to the corresponding corners of the other section, said sections being swingable on the hinges into abutting relation to form an open-topped chest or swingable to lie in the same plane to form a table top, and means for holding the sections in either position.

2. A combined chest and table comprising two substantially equal, elongated rectangular sections, each section comprising a panel having perpendicular rails along one long margin and short, perpendicular end rails across the ends, means for securing the three rails of each section together and to the panel, the end rails of the opposite sections being hinged together at their inner corners so as to form the end Walls of an open-topped chest with the long rails tornr ing the bottom wall of said chest when the sections are swung with the free edges of the rails abutting each other, means for looking the sections together, table leg sockets formed in each corner of the rails, table legs stowable within the bottom of the chest,

and acover adapted to fit over the open top of. the chest.

3. A combined chest and table comprising two substantially equal rectangular sections each having a longitudinal rail and two transverse end rails, the free corners of each pair of end rails on one section being hinged to the corresponding corners of the other section, said sections being swingable on the hinges into abutting relation to form an open topped chest or swingable to lie in the same plane to form a table top, sockets formed at the angles of the sets of rails, table legs stowable within the bottom of the sections when in chest form and adapted to have their upper ends set into the sockets when the sections form a table top, means for locking the sections together as a chest, and separate means for locking said sections together as a table top.

4. A combined chest and table comprising two substantially equal rectangular sections, each consisting of a panel, a longitudinal side rail and two end rails, the side and end rails being secured to each other and to the panels, means for hinging the end rails of each section to the others at their free inner corners, whereby the two sections are hinged together with the end rails forming the end walls, the panels forming the side walls and the side rails providing the bottom wall of an open top chest, means for holding the sections in this position, the sections being adapted to be swung so that the two panels may be arranged in alinement and form the top of a table, means for holding the sections in the second position, and a cover for the open top of the chest, said cover when removed serving as atray.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

CLARENCE I. J. BARKER. 

